The rulings direct the PUC to disclose information sought under the Texas Public Information Act. The decisions also clarify that records from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are subject to disclosure under PUC rules.
Winter Storm Uri exposed critical vulnerabilities in the state's electrical grid, leading to rolling blackouts that affected more than 4 million customers. The storm contributed to over 200 deaths statewide and prompted widespread scrutiny of ERCOT's operations and the PUC's oversight of the deregulated electricity market.
The Attorney General's rulings require the PUC to release previously withheld documents related to the grid operator's decision-making during the crisis. These records likely include communications between ERCOT officials, energy companies, and state regulators during the days when power plants went offline due to freezing temperatures and natural gas supply shortages.
This disclosure order is part of ongoing state and federal investigations into the grid failures. Multiple legislative committees have held hearings examining ERCOT's preparedness and response, while federal regulators have launched their own inquiries into the market manipulation and infrastructure failures that contributed to the crisis.
The Open Records Division's action reflects transparency efforts following the storm. State lawmakers have called for greater accountability from ERCOT, which operates as a nonprofit corporation but manages the electrical grid serving 90% of Texas's electricity demand.
The released records could provide new insights into the timeline of decisions that led to widespread outages and the emergency protocols that failed during the unprecedented weather event. Legal experts note that the disclosure may also support ongoing litigation against utilities and grid operators by families of storm victims and businesses that suffered losses during the outages.
Separately, Attorney General Ken Paxton has previously issued opinions regarding the right of university regents to access records in the possession of the university that a regent believes are necessary to review in order to fulfill his/her duties as a regent.